In this world, the guitar was the most popular instrument, followed by piano and flute, while guzheng ranked pretty low on the list.
Guzheng was not so much an unpopular instrument, but it was too hard to learn.
First, you needed to keep your hands suspended in the air and above the instrument, which is not something many people could do. Unlike the violin, which uses a bow to move the strings, guzheng requires your hands to do the work. After a song, most people would have sore fingers.
Someone who had weak hands would not have enough power to create the sound.
Xia Yu sat at a coffee table nearby and carefully observed Kong Hanyue as she played.
Guzheng practice songs were real songs, unlike the piano’s Gulda piece, which was simpler and required no techniques.
This guzheng practice song had a name too, “The Iron Pipe.”
It was composed by a modern guzheng artist. Guzheng performers would say, “When you could play this song, your playing would sound as good as hitting an iron pipe.”
This song wasn’t particularly stylish. It was filled with hollow musical notes.
After finishing the practice song, Kong Hanyue looked at Xia Yu. “Seems easy, right? Try it.”
Xia Yu went toward the guzheng. He first closed his eyes and remembered the techniques.
After five seconds, he took out the phone and displayed the score in front of him. Then, he took the nail tips on the desk and applied them to his nails with tape.
The strings on the guzheng were quite thin, playing directly could hurt one’s hands, so guzheng artists liked to wear nail tips.
There were only eight nail tips since the pinky fingers weren’t used during playing and needed no protection.
After getting ready, Xia Yu suspended his hands above the guzheng.
He focused on the score and played the first note.
Kong Hanyue smiled deviously. She was waiting for him to be mortified.
She knew Xia Yu. She knew he didn’t have the instrument at home. He probably assumed he could play easily after seeing some online videos, and since he had a piano and violin background.
Reality would teach him how hard guzheng was to play!
Kong Hanyue was very confident. She was already thinking of how to laugh at him when he first failed and became disappointed, then she’d comfort him and make him feel touched by her care. By then, he’d listen to her and go to school in Yaoguang City.
Yet, her expression changed as Xia Yu’s fingers moved.
“The Iron Pipe” practice song was so easy that Xia Yu could play it after seeing it once.
By the time Xia Yu was in the middle of the song, Kong Hanyue knew this song wasn’t challenging for him.
Before he had finished playing, Kong Hanyue grabbed his hands.
“You were learning with someone!” Kong Hanyue didn’t believe that Xia Yu could understand the guzheng after just one look.
“You can teach me a harder song,” Xia Yu said.
“I’ll see what you’re up to.” Pushing him aside, Kong Hanyue sat down and played another song.
This song was called “The Promise of White.” It was an elegant tune.
This was a true guzheng song, making “The Iron Pipe” seem like a joke.
Xia Yu couldn’t possibly learn this song right away. After Kong Hanyue finished, he walked up and played the first gentle part with some stops and starts. But when the song sped up, he couldn’t keep up.
“Your techniques are not good enough. You can’t even get into the preliminaries at the district competition playing like this.” Kong Hanyue started critiquing him again.
Xia Yu ignored her and started again.
During the second time, he managed to improve the choppy parts, but he didn’t do well in the fast-paced portion.
During the third attempt, he failed half-way through the fast portion.
By the fourth time, even with some rhythm issues, he had managed to play the whole song.
Kong Hanyue became silent during the second playing. When Xia Yu finished the entire song, she clutched her head. “My teacher said I was a rare talent, but there are better talents out there.”
Walking behind Xia Yu, she patted his back. “You’re my son after all. I’m willing to concede to you in guzheng.”
Xia Yu didn’t look excited at Kong Hanyue’s praise. He knew that he learned fast because of his Music Lv 3 skills.
He had no innate talent in music at all.
But, he didn’t need to tell her this.
“I have more questions. Teach me.” He told Kong Hanyue.
“OK.” Kong Hanyue agreed. “At this speed, you really could earn a ranking at the music competition, maybe even in the top 30. When local papers interviewed me, they’d realize you’re the son of Kong Hanyue, the legendary guzheng talent from 20 years ago…”
Kong Hanyue stopped at this point.
Xia Yu knew what she was thinking. He said, “You can say you taught me when I was a kid.”
If reporters interviewed her, her step-kids would know.
“Zeze is a good kid. Xinxin might have some issues.” Kong Hanyue gave Xia Yu an apologetic look.
“It doesn’t matter.” Xia Yu didn’t care.
There are no permanent relationships in the world. Some people in Kong Hanyue’s position might not even acknowledge Xia Yu.
It was good enough like this. People needed to be content to be happy.
However, he could be content in fighting strategy, but greedy in fighting technique.
Youxue had always liked Kong Hanyue. If only he could fix their relationship.
It would have to wait.
Raising his hands, Xia Yu started playing the guzheng again.
Kong Hanyue talked as he played. “Use your fingertips for power, not the wrists, and definitely not the arms.”
“Skip the part you already play well. Just play the part you’re not familiar with yet.”
“Don’t lean forward too much. Guzheng is all about looking stylish.”
One hour later, Xia Yu could play the song, “The Promise of White,” very expertly.
“You’re really a genius!” Kong Hanyue hugged Xia Yu excitedly. “The Kong family has an heir in guzheng-playing!”
“Please. Only you learned the guzheng.”
Xia Yu sighed. Kong Hanyue had this kind of crazy personality, which was still the same after all these years.
“With you playing, we have two generations. Nowadays, two generations are pretty impressive.” Kong Hanyue moved the guzheng closer to her. “We can start the next song. But first, I have to tell you about our family’s style. Guzheng has two schools, the Southern school and the Northern school.”
“Are we north or south? Is there a difference?” Xia Yu asked curiously.
“We’re neither north nor south. We’re the Flower school.”
“???”